Bookstack shelf of the bar type



A. s. MACDONALD ErAL BO OKSTACK SHELF OF THE BAR TYPE Nov. 25, 1941.

2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed May 18, 1939 ATTORNEY3 Nov. 25, 1941. A. s.MACDONALD ETAL BOOKSTACK SHELF. OF"THE BAR TYPE Filed May 18, 1939 2Sheets-Sheet 2 wfwety/ ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 25, 1941 2,264,120BOOKSTACK SHELF OF THE BAR'TYPE Angus S. Macdonald, Rapidan, Va., andCharles H. Gersley, Hillside, N. J.,

assignors t Snead &

Company, Jersey City, N, J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May18, 1939, Serial 2 14340 9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shelves of the bar typeparticularly useful in library bookstacks.

One of the primary objects of our invention is the provision of a barshelf of sheet metal construction which is of simple form, ineXpensiveto manufacture, of neat appearance and of light but rugged construction.

Other objects and advantages capable of realization by the preferredform of our invention will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a plan view of a shelfconstructed in accordance with our invention, a portion of the shelfbeing broken out to condense the figure, the upper right-hand cornerportion being shown in section, and the shelf being shown applied towell-known shelf supporting castings of a bookstack;

Figure 2 is a cross-section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but taken on the line -4 ofFigure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 ofFigure 4; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view taken substantially on the line 6-6 ofFigure 2 and illustrating the application of book supports to the shelf.

Our improved bar shelf comprises a pair of end members I of generalchannel section, a plurality of shelf bars 8 also of general channelsection, and a tie rod 9 located intermediate of the pair of end membersand extending parallel thereto for holding the shelf bars at the properspacing at their central portions.

The end members each comprise a web ill, a lower flange l l, and anupper flange l2 and the shelf bars -8 each com-prise side walls orflanges l3 and a rounded or crowned top or web 14. The end portions [5of the shelf bars are received between the flanges H and I2 of the endmembers and abut against the webs Iii, it being noted that the crownedtops M are flattened down at the end portions as illustrated in Figures3, .4 and .5 so as to fit under the upper flanges 12 of the end members.

In order to position the bars in predetermined spaced relation along theend members the side walls of the shelf bars are provided with slots ornotches l6 adjacent their ends which cooperate with spaced slots ornotches 1''] provided in the upturned edge portions 18 of the lowerflanges H of the end members.

i portions '22 of the The front shelf bar 8a is secured to the endmembers I, I as by means of the tabs l9 pro.- vided on the inbent frontend portions 211 of the end members, and the rear shelf bar 817 is Sim.-ilarly secured to the end members as by means of the tabs 2! provided.on the inbent rear end end members. The tabs 13 and 2| :pass throughopenings 23 24 in the shelf bars 8a and 812 respectively and are bentagainst theside walls of the bars as clearly shown in Figures 1, 3, 4and 5.

The shelf bars are provided with ledges or shoulders extendinglongitudinally along their upper and lower portions, the upper ledges orshoulders 25 being provided by having the top H .of the bars overhang orproject beyond the side walls l3, and the lower ledges or shoulders '26being provided by the returned or rebent edge portions 21 of the sidewalls 13. Stated in another way the upper ledges 25 are formed at theinner ture of the web and flanges of the bars and con.- stitute outer orexternal ledges, and the lower ledges 26 are formed by the rebentportions 21 at the margins of the flanges l3 and constitute inner .orinternal ledges.

It is to be noted that the edge portions I21 .of the bars are inturnedor rebent loosely, i. e. they are not closed in flat against the sidewalls of the bars but are spaced vtherefrom so .as to form internalledges or shoulders ofapproximately the same size as the external ledges25 This also provides well rounded lower which is advantageous .in thatit affords protec:- tion against scraping the top edges of :books whenplacing them on or removing them' fromv the shelves.

Referring particularly .to Figures '1 and '2, it will be seen that inthis instance a plurality .of the bars toward the front of the shelf arespaced ateq-ual intervals and that the remaining or rear bars are spaced.at a different orgreater. interval. The spacing between the front barsis such that the distance from the outer wall surface of .one bar to the.adjacentouter wall surface of the adjacent bar, indicated the referenceletter a in Figure 2, is approximately equal to .the distance betweenthe inner wall surfaces of the :bars, indicated by the reference letter--b. Since the distance a equals the distance b and since the internaland external shoulders are of the same size it will be noted that thespace 0 between the adjacent external shoulders of adjacent-bars equalsthe space at between the internal shoulders of the bars. In otherinstances all of the bars are arranged with uniform spacing.

edges on the bars 'at 3| and .32.

The proportion of the parts and the spacing referred to is particularlyadvantageous with respect to the application of book supports to theshelves, as will be seen by reference to Figures 2 and 6 in which thebook supports are indicated by the reference numeral 28.

The book. supports are provided with T-like portions 29 adaptedto-engage either the external or the internal shoulders of the bars sothat the same book support may be placed either in standing or suspendedposition as illustrated. The book supports also have wing-like portions38 which engage the bars to hold the .book supports in their positions.This arrangement of the book supports is particularly advantageous inthat the book supports may be readily placed in any position along theshelf and moved from one position of another in a very simple manner.The construction of T-like portions of the book supports and thedisposition of the internal and ex- 'ternal shoulders of the bars aresuch that the book supports, whether in standing or suspended position,may be slid past the tie rod without interference. The provision of anarrangement whereby the standing position or hung from underneath theshelves is very useful in supporting tall books which cannot beadequately held by a book support of ordinary size standing upright onthe shelf. The suspended book supports are also particularly usefulwhere an open-bar shelf is employed directly above a solid plate shelf,such as book supports may be disposed in is usually found at the bottomof a free standing bracket stack.

The size of 'the book shelf may be varied in width from front to back bychanging-the number of bars, or changing the spacing of the rearbars,.it being noted that in any case the spacing of at least the frontbars is kept such as to enablethe interchangeable useof the samecrosssection of bar and the same book supports.

.The tie rod 9 above referred to passes through all ofthe bars, as isclearly shown in Figure 2, and is secured in place, for example, byriveting or spinning over the ends of the rod, as indicated The shelfbars are held in their proper spaced relation along the tie rod by meansprovided on the tie rod for engaging the walls of .the shelf bars, asindicated at 33,-which in this instance is accomplishedby deforming thetie rods immediately adjacent the walls of the shelf bars. Thus a. verysimple and effective method of support is provided to maintain theproper and predetermined spacing of the bars from end to end .of theshelf.

By employing end members of channel form arranged with their flangesfacing each other and adapted-to receive and position the end portionsof the shelf bars between the flnages we have provided a bar shelf whichis smooth at the ends and of. neat appearance becauseno part of theshelf bars projects through the webs of the end members 7.

Furthermore the cross-section of the bars with their longitudinallyextending ledges is such that they havev great strength, and serve toincrease the ratio of bar area to gap area. These ledges or overhangingshoulders also protect the vertical sides ofthe bar from falling dust.The end bars because of their channel form are also very strong. Thesimple manner in which the bars are interlocked with the end members isvery economical of material.

Bar shelves constructed in accordance with our invention arepartioularlyuseful in bookstacks in which case the shelves are carried by uprightshelf supporting members or castings such as indicated by the referencenumeral 34 in Figure 1. The castings 34 are provided with a plurality ofvertically spaced lugs 35 on which the shelves rest, it being noted thatthe end members 1 of the shelf have notched or cut away portions 36toward the rear thereof for engagement with the lugs 35. Similarly,vertically spaced notches 31 are provided at the front edge of thecastings 34 adapted to receive pins 38 secured to the end members 1 ofthe shelves toward the front thereof.

We claim:

1. A bookstack shelf comprising a pair of end members having lowerflange-like portions facing each other, upturned edge portions on saidflange-like portions having notches at spaced intervals longitudinallytherealong, and a plurality of shelf bars extending between said endmembers with their end portions notched to have interlocking engagementwith said upturned edge portions at the notches therein.

2. A bookstack shelf comprising a pair of end members, a plurality ofbars supported from said end members, cooperating means on said endmembers and bars for positioning the bars in predetermined spacedrelation, said bars being of general channel shape in cross-section withtheir webs crowned and overhanging their flanges to provide externalshoulders at the top portions of the bars, said flanges being rebentinwardly to provide internal shoulders at the bottom portions of thebars, and the size of said external shoulders being approximately equalto the size of said internal shoulders.

3. A bookstack shelf comprising a pair of end members, a plurality ofbars supported from said end members, cooperating means on said endmembers and bars for positioning the bars in predetermined spacedrelation, said bars being of general channel shape in cross-section withtheir flanges rebent inwardly to provide internalledges and havingexternal ledges formed at the juncture of their flanges and webs,together with standing book supports engageable with adja cent externalledges of adjacent bars, and suspended book supports engageable with theinternal ledges of the bars.

4. A bookstack shelf comprising a pair of end members, a plurality ofshelf bars of general channel shape positioned between said end members,cooperating means on said end members and said bars for spacing the barsa predetermined distance apart, longitudinally extending externalshoulders on said bars at the'juncture of their flanges and webs,inwardly rebent portions on the flanges of the bars providinglongitudinally extending internal shoulders, the spacing means on. saidend members for certain of said shelf bars being so located that the gapbetween the adjacent external shoulders of adjacent bars approximatelyequals the gap between the internal shoulders of the bars.

5. A bookstack shelf comprising a pair of end members, a plurality ofshelf bars of general channel shape positioned between said end members,cooperating means on said end members and said bars for spacing the barsa predetermined distance apart, longitudinally extending externalshoulders on said bars at the juncture of their flanges and webs,inwardly rebent portions on the flanges of the bars providing longitudinally extending internal shoulders, the spac ing means on said endmembers for .certain of said shelf bars being so located that thedistance between the adjacent outer surfaces of the flanges of adjacentbars is approximately equal to the distance between the inner surface ofthe flanges of the bars.

6. In combination, a bookstack bar shelf and book supports, said booksupports having positioning means and the shelf bars having externalshoulders extending longitudinally thereof coacting with saidpositioning means to enable the book supports to be placed in standingpositions and internal shoulders extending longitudinally thereofcoacting with said positioning means to enable the book supports to beplaced in suspended positions.

7. In combination, a bookstack bar shelf and book supports, the bars ofsaid shelf having upper external and lower internal longitudinallyextending shoulders, and said book supports having T-like means adaptedto engage said external shoulders to enable the book supports to beplaced in standing positions and to engage said internal shoulders toenable the book supports to be placed in suspended positions, and saidbook supports also having wing-like portions engaging the bars to holdthe book supports in their positions.

8. A bookstack shelf comprising a pair of end members, a plurality ofshelf bars of general channel shape positioned between said end members,cooperating means on said end members and said bars for spacing the barsa predetermined distance apart, longitudinally extending externalshoulders on said bars at the juncture of their flanges and webs,inwardly rebent portions on the flanges of the bars providinglongitudinally extending internal shoulders, tie rod means extendingthrough and crosswise of said bars to constitute cross bracing for theshelf, the spacing means on said end members for said bars being sodisposed that the gap between the adjacent external shoulders ofadjacent bars approximately equals the gap between the internalshoulders of the bars, book supports having T- like portions engageablewith said external shoulders to provide a standing'book support, andengageable with said internal shoulders to provide a suspended booksupport, said tie rod means, said shoulders and said T-like portionsbeing so constructed that the book supports whether in standing orsuspended position may be moved from end to end of the bars withoutinterference with said tie rod means.

9. A bookstack shelf comprising a pair of end members, a plurality ofshelf bars of general channel shape positioned between said end members,cooperating means on said end members and said bars for spacing the bars'a predetermined distance apart, longitudinally extending externalshoulders on said bars at the juncture of their flanges and webs,inwardly rebent portions on the flanges of the bars providinglongitudinally extending internal shoulders, the spacing means on saidend members for said bars being so disposed that the gap between theadjacent external shoulders of adjacent bars approximately equals thegap between the internal shoulders of the bars, book supports having T-like portions engageable with said external shoulders to provide astanding book support, and engageable with said internal shoulders toprovide a suspended book support.

ANGUS s MACDONALD. CHAS. H. GERSLEY.

